Last Stand at Thermopylae
by Donelle
Summary: They will remember Atlantis.


**Title:** Last Stand at Thermopylae

**Rating:** PG-13

**Summary:** They will remember Atlantis.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the recognizable/original characters, places or things. I made no profit off of this story. I do own this plot and any new characters/places/things.

* * *

In four eighty BC, Xerxes of Persia marched on Greece with a massive force, intent on expanding his empire. In defiance of Spartan law and facing certain death, King Leonidas took a small band of men to oppose him. Blocking the only pass into Greece that Xerxes's army could use, Leonidas and his troops held off the Persians for three days. The Spartans perished, to the last man, but their defiance gave the rest of Greece a reason to fight. United, the city states destroyed Xerxes's army.

He would never raise another.

* * *

_Day One_

The gate connected for a split second only, but it was enough. People crowd around the laptop screen, watching as Rodney's program deciphers the compressed message.

"It is the decision of this oversight committee that the Wraith species present an unacceptable risk to Earth. As such we order the immediate return of all Atlantis expedition personal and supplies to Earth and the complete destruction of Atlantis."

There is no discussion, for there is no need. Not among these few souls who have lived and bled so closely with one another that they may as well be of one mind. They send their reply immediately, short and to the point.

"No."

Further power is not wasted on arguments they will not cede; there are preparations to be made, defense to set, weapons to load.

Goodbyes to say.

* * *

_Day Two_

The Wraith arrive at dawn and the impacts of their weapons against the city's shield blot out the rising sun. As the day wears on the rumbling death keel as the outer portions of the city are destroyed becomes commonplace; they have shrunk the shield to cover only the central building.

It is not just the structure of the city that suffers. John's heart gives out in the control chair, Lorne perishes with a jumper while taking out a hive ship, and Miko is hit by falling debrie. They loose other personal, to various disasters, but they can not spare the time to mourn.

They have a message to send. A message for the Pegasus galaxy.

* * *

_Day Three_

The Atlantian's call does not go unheeded. Friends, allies, even enemies of pour into the city. It takes only moments, a breath of infected air, and then they are on their way. For within that breath is a virus, silently bearing the seeds of the Wraith's destruction. The infection will spread from human to human like fire in a dry forest and when the Wraith try to feed the unstoppable, irreversible, change of species will begin.

When all the people have come and gone, Atlantis continues to fight, so the virus will have time to spread. They fight until their shields are gone, until the city sinks and the corpses of her last defenders lay draped upon the wreckage.

They fight the battle and loose, as they knew they would. Yet in ten days time when a ship from Earth arrives, the war is over and the Wraith have lost. The vessel will search in vain for their comrades, but will find nothing save for a beacon with encrypted files. A record, they disover, of all the research the expedition had conducted, all they had learned. All they had given, for the lives of Pegasus.

* * *

In the years to come, people on Earth will visit Arlington and pay their respects to tombstones that sit over empty graves. They will go to Harvard and MIT and Cal Sci and see the fruits of dead scientist's labors. They will let their hurts be soothed with technology sprung from sacrificed doctor's research.

And they will remember. They will remember a time and place where few stood against many, when people defended a galaxy not their own and gave their lives to protect it.

They will remember Atlantis.

* * *

A/N:

Ummm. Sorry for killing everyone?

Also, technically, Xerxes did put his army back together, but it sounded so dramatic I didn't want to change it. Yay for artistic license!

Please let me know what you think :)


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